Can you provide us with an injury update? Are Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell fit?
It's positive. We're going to train later on this afternoon so providing they come through that okay there's every chance they make the squad.
Are you happy with the rate the team is progressing at the moment?
Well, we can always do more and do better but at the same time you always have to look at the situation for what it is and the context it is in. In terms of how the group is working, it's positive. I thought the Dortmund performance away from home given the context of the competition, of the opponent, the environment was another step forward but we have another challenge at the weekend because we're at home against a Premier League side so we have to make sure we're ready for that. Satisfied but always room to improve.
READ MORE: Graham Potter reveals stance on Mason Mount contract as Chelsea handed double injury boost
A game you simply need to win to keep alive hopes of qualifying for the Champions League via the Premier League?
I think it's a game that we want to win because we're playing at home and we want to win. It's as simple as that. As I've said before there's no point thinking about four months away. We're focused on the next match which is Southampton. As we know from earlier on in the season, any game you play in the Premier League, it's always complicated, it's always tough. So we have to be ready for that challenge. We play at home and try to take the three points.
Marc Cucurella is going through a tough time at the moment, reports have said that his house was broken into shortly after joining the club.
That is true.
Were you disappointed to hear him being booed in Dortmund?
I didn't here that to be honest. There were 80,000 people there so I didn't hear any of that.
Only one goal in your last four matches, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the only out-and-out striker fit, what does he need to do to get into contention?
There's David Fofana as well, who is a centre-forward that we've signed, who is a young player with potential we feel. There's also other forwards but of course Pierre is in our squad, he remains an important player for us. He's worked hard, he knows the situation at the moment but nothing is set in stone. His attitude has been really good and we'll make an assessment as we go forward.
What is your understanding of Mason Mount's contract at the moment? How keen are you to tie him to a new deal?
It's always complicated, there is always negotiations. It's best I leave it between Mason and the club, that is the best way for that to be dealt with as far as I'm concerned. He's been fantastic to work with, an important player for us, and of course, I hope it gets resolved quickly.
Ben Chilwell started in midweek, how important is it to manage his return?
That's the challenge for us at the moment. He had 30 minutes against West Ham, 70 minutes against Dortmund, so the decision will be based on how he recovers today and how he reports back. We'll make the call tonight or tomorrow about the extent he can play but it's something we have to be mindful of.
What challenges arise when you take on a team without a permanent manager?
You're not sure at all how they're going to go. Anything can come at you pretty much because they're a caretaker manager and they've had a week to prepare and prepare some ideas. What has happened before is no reference, that is the challenge. For us, we have to focus on ourselves, what we do well and then prepare and make sure we're ready for the challenge. There's a big challenge coming our way.
The team is creating a lot of chances at the moment, which is a positive, but aren't taking them. Is there a point where you can't praise them or do you need some luck?
I don't like to use luck as a reason or something to wait for because it's something you can't control. Clearly you need that in a game but it's not for us to think about. The Dortmund game in terms of chances created was a positive for us, we maintain that, that's the challenge for us. Then the quality of player we have in the final positions, I think we can score.
The criticism for us, and the fair criticism, and something we're looking to improve - is that we haven't attacked as well as I'd have liked us to. Attacking well means creating chances, sustaining chances, good chances. It was closer against Dortmund. Good in the first part of the game against West Ham but the challenge is always to do it over 90 minutes. It's not as simple as that because it's the Premier League and there's an opponent there but it's what we need to do.
Do you feel with time, things are getting closer to what you want, to get that performance over 90 minutes?
Yeah we feel there's progress but again you have to constantly see and evaluate where we're at and what the circumstances are. It's pretty straightforward. You play a game, you need to win. There's lots of things going on in the background in terms of managing players back from injury, integrating new players into the team and all of the time you're playing in competition and need to deal with that as well. That's where we're at, it's exciting.
What do you make of VAR and if you could change it, what would you change?
I have no problem with VAR necessarily. I don't think I would have had it in the first place because I think I'm a bit of a romantic, traditionalist. I quite like the referee and the linesman there to make the decision and whatever mistake happens, happens. I think that's a good way.
I understand that we want to make all of the decisions correct. Then I go, do we really want every single decision to be correct? There's an emelent of human error, there's an element of that, that happens in the game that gives us something to talk about and get annoyed about. It's part of the game.
Or are we going towards, eventually are humans going to make the decision. Because I hear people talking about the need to be consistent and the only way to be consistent is that human beings don't make the decision because they see it in a different way. The fooball action will be so different. This drive for consistentcy is strange when you consider that humans are taking part in the game.
I would like the referee to mostly referee the game. Apart from that I will just try and support the process because that's where it is. I don't think it's so easy to be a VAR ref, we're still in the early stages of being a VAR ref. I think it must be different to go from being on the pitch, feeling the game to being in this room for example. This is something that inevitably they're going to get better at I think. Apart from that, I have enough problems myself to worry about VAR.
Creating chances not so much the problem as much as taking them? Are you doing any extra shooting drills to get confidence going. It seems like a confidence thing in front of goal, players are snatching at chances.
I'm not sure I totally agree with you there. I think you could make that case against Dortmund. Joao hit he bar, it was unlucky, he had a good chance before then that you think with his quality he would score. That sometimes happens in football. The hardest thing to do is put the ball in. We created chances, whatever you think xG, it was quite high from an away team's perspective in the Champions League. Previously to that, I'd like it to be a bit more. I'd like us to create more chances, the more you do, then you just back the quality of player at the top end of the pitch. The final third is an area where we can improve and we need to do better.
Malo Gusto is the latest player to arrive at Cobham as he rehabilitates an injury. Who made that decision and is it a good opportunity for you? Is there any update on Andrey Santos?
Malo is here to help with his rehab, the club made that decision. But it’s nice to meet him and nice to see him in person around the building. But we’re just trying to help him get back fit. Santos is still in the same place. We’re looking at what the options are for him.
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